Hey guys, I finally managed to finish a new chapter in the story.

I hope you enjoy it.

Have fun,

T73.

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Jane sat in her usual booth in the Dirty Robber and took a sip of coffee when someone sat down on the other side of the table. She frowned deeply and looked long at her little brother.

Frankie took a deep breath and raised his hand to order a coffee as well. "Thanks for meeting me."

"I didn't have much choice," she replied and lowered her cup. "I think I have an idea what all this is about."

Frankie waited until the waitress brought him the cup of coffee he ordered and took a deep breath before saying, "I want you to make it clear to Liz that it's best for all of us if she stays out of the ongoing investigation."

Jane blinked several times and then frowned deeply. "Because she listens to me?"

"I hope so."

Jane scoffed and licked her lips. She knew what the new case was about and she shared her brother's concern that her daughter would lead this investigation.

She sat back and scrutinized her brother long. "You know Liz. She won't listen to me either." She furled eyebrows when Frankie looked into his cup. "You haven't talked to her about the fact that her involvement in this investigation could compromise the case, have you?"

He exhaled slowly and glanced back at her. "I wanted to talk to you about this first."

"You were going to send me as a van."

"Yeah, something like that," he admitted, raising his shoulders.

"Very mature."

Frankie looked at her long and seriously and frowned deeply. "Jane, any other detective who's had a similar experience would give anything not to be on a case like this. Doesn't it worry you that Liz is doing everything to keep this one?"

Jane licked her lips again and sighed loudly. "Do I like it? No, I hate that Liz wants to work this case. I know it from personal experience, Frankie." She raised her hand when he opened his mouth to object and furrowed her brows. "This has nothing to do with me and Hoyt, Frankie, but there are demons that you can only fight if you face them."

"Hanley's in jail and Keira's dad is dead."

"And yet three women were kidnapped, their wrists slit and they bled to death. The same kind of death that Keira's dad planned for my daughter because he was hired by Hanley. We both know there's always more than one of that kind."

He looked long at her again and then avoided her gaze by looking back into his cup.

She took a deep breath and frowned. "I'll talk to her, but I won't promise anything."

Frankie nodded slowly and leaned back. "Okay."

"If it comes to it, you have to be the one to call it quits ."

"I know," he breathed and shook his head with a sad smile.

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Adam was standing in the morgue with Sam and Liz, waiting to hear that the fourth female victim had been killed under the same circumstances as the three other.

The very obvious made even his blood freeze.

The wrists of the four women cut horizontally so they didn't stand a chance.

The first three victims had been drugged with something that paralyzed them, that's what the tox screen had shown. He couldn't remember of said drug anymore.

He looked at his wife, who stoically stared at the fourth victim on the metal table, and frowned deeply.

He realized that Liz's behavior and body language had changed after they stumbled over this case.

Suddenly Liz was no longer the one who stubbornly chased after the villain, was no longer the dog with the bone, no longer growled at those who made a very good suspect.

It was almost like she was retreating into her shell so she didn't have to face the past.

His eyes fell on her hands when he noticed a gentle movement.

Adam closed his eyes briefly when he saw Liz running her right thumb over the scar on her left wrist, lost in thought. The silent reminder of what she'd been through.

A tick that she'd apparently copied from Jane.

He had often seen Jane rub the scars in her palms when she was reminded of unpleasant encounters.

"You okay," he asked gently so that only his wife and Sam could hear the question while Rose continued to spit out medical facts.

Liz stiffened and inhaled sharply as if she had been startled out of a bad train of thought.

Sam looked worriedly at his cousin before looking at Adam.

She blinked a few times and swallowed hard. "Yeah, I'm fine."

Sam looked at them for a long time and frowned deeply. "I can do it. You don't have to be here."

"I said I'm fine," Liz growled low and the agent-to-be raised his hands.

"Hey," Adam whispered, raising his eyebrows as she looked at him briefly.

Liz closed her eyes briefly and inhaled loudly through her mouth. Her eyes shot open again when Rose announced that she would start the internal examination and she swallowed hard as the ME started to make a Y-incision. "Excuse me."

"Liz," Adam said loudly as his wife ran out of the autopsy room, leaving a stunned ME and Sam behind, following her instantly.

He hurried up the stairs behind her and ignored the astonished looks of his colleagues, knocked on the door of the ladies' room.

After counting to thirty, he opened the door and stuck his head inside. "Liz," he asked, entering the toilet after making sure no one else was in it and locking the door. „you okay?"

Adam rolled his eyes and wanted to slap himself for the question. He wondered why he actually asked if his wife was okay while he heard her heaving.

However, he could understand her reaction and was amazed that she had lasted so long. He had had the same reaction to the first victim after the autopsy was performed.

He looked at the stalls when he heard the flush and frowned deeply when Liz came out.

Liz paused briefly when she saw her husband standing by the sink and wiped her mouth. "I'm sorry."

He exhaled slowly and crossed his arms. "For what?"

"That you had to listen to that."

"You're kidding, right? I was there when you pushed a human being outta you, I won't be scared off by a little vomiting."

She looked at him skeptically before going to the sink and turning on the cold water. "That was different."

"Not really," he replied, standing behind her, keeping a little distance while she splashed water on her face and rinsed her mouth. "Maybe you should go home and take a few days off."

She looked up and frowned at his reflection. "Is that an order?"

"Would it help if I'd pull ranks?"

"That's rather unlikely."

"Thought so," replied Adam, stepping closer to her.

"I'm just worried, Liz."

She watched him in the mirror and quirked an eyebrow while bracing on the sink. "Because the women died the way I should have died, or because I am investigating the case and maybe it boils down to me being biased and endangering the case? Or that I could lose my temper and kill the monster if we are able to catch him? "

Adam looked long at her and frowned. "Yes, yes and yes."

Liz pressed her lips together and nodded slowly when she looked back at him. "I'm terrified too of how I'll react when I look the bastard in the eye, Adam."

This time, he said nothing and held her gaze.

She was grateful that he didn't touch her but was close enough to lean her head back and place it on his chest. "God, what am I doing, Adam?"

He took a deep breath and ran his hands over her arms. "You do what you do best. You speak for those who can no longer speak for themselves, you're bringing justice for them."

She whirled around without warning and licked her lips with a shake of the head. "If it weren't for me, these four women would most likely still be alive."

"You can't know that," he replied emphatically. "These women belonged to a risk group."

"Oh," growled Liz, furling her brows. "just because these women were hookers did they have had less right to live?"

"That's not what I'm saying."

"I know," she sighed and closed her eyes briefly, rubbing her forehead. "It is just -"

"Everything has been so ... normal in the past few months. I almost forgot what had happened. As if everything was just a terrible nightmare from which I finally woke up."

Adam nodded approvingly and gritted his teeth, wiping a tear off her cheek. "Yeah, I know what you're talking about."

Liz looked long at him and frowned deeply. "Why didn't you come into my life sooner?"

He paused and blinked a few times before realizing what the real question was. Why did it take you so long to come into my life to save me from stupidities and wrong decisions?

He smiled weakly and raised his shoulders. "I had to take a few detours that took me a few years to get here."

She ran her hand over his chest while she shook her head. "I'm glad you made it."

"I'm glad you didn't send me packing in the first place," he replied, rolling his eyes when she looked at him amused. „In the second place."

"Me too," she replied in a soft voice, standing on her toes and giving him a peck.

Adam ran his hands over her shoulders and sighed heavily. "We should go upstairs before the others think we -"

"Yes," she interrupted, stepping back. "I'm pretty sure there will be a line at the door too."

"Most likely," he chuckled and followed his wife.

Liz unlocked the door and stared into the face of a puzzled female officer as she came out and Adam followed. "What," she asked, growling, and the other woman ducked her head in silence.

Adam grunted and looked down at her. "Was that really necessary?"

She grinned proudly and pushed the button of the elevator. "Yep."

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Liz sat at her desk and thoughtfully looked at the glass board on which all the data and possible connections of the four women, who had one thing in common, were written. They were cruelly killed by a person to be found.

Again and again, her eyes wandered from the pictures of women when they were still alive to those that showed their bodies.

She exhaled slowly and rubbed her eyes while slowly but surely a headache started.

She leaned back in her chair and groaned when her parents entered the bullpen together.

Jane slowed her steps and pulled her chin in before spotting her brother in BRIC, whispering something to her wife, and then going toward the operations center with a scowl.

Liz rolled her eyes and raised her hand briefly.

Maura also rolled her eyes, went to her daughter's desk with a smile, and sat down on the chair next to it.

Liz looked at her for a long time and sighed heavily. "So you haul out the big guns?"

The blonde frowned a little and tilted her head. "Excuse me?"

"Never mind," replied the young woman, dropping her pen on the desk.

Maura eyed her daughter long and licked her lips with a sigh. "You look tired."

Liz raised her eyebrows briefly and smiled tightly before looking at her mother. "Four dead women who had their wrists slit in the same way as mine doesn't necessarily give me the best sleep."

The former ME nodded slowly and crossed her legs. "You have nightmares?" She skidded in her seat and leaned forward a little, lowering her voice before saying, "Liz, it's a natural reaction to process what you've experienced in your sleep. And what you've been through has been extremely traumatic. "

Liz huffed and looked at Maura seriously, quirking an eyebrow. "Well, my experience was not quite as traumatic as that of these four women."

Maura pursed her lips and nodded slowly before glancing at the glass board. She realized that her daughter blamed herself for the death of these women and that she couldn't say or do very much that would change that. "Maybe you should take a few days off to clear your head again."

The detective eyed her long, turned the corners of her mouth down and nodded slowly as Maura's words sank in.

She had even considered giving up the case and leaving the city with her family for a while until the storm was over, but then she realized that it wouldn't protect her family and herself, but just delayed the inevitable.

She was also quite aware that these women had died on her behalf and she had a vague suspicion of who was responsible for the murders, but she couldn't prove it yet and didn't want to say the name out loud because she feared to be considered paranoid.

Liz also realized that Maura had been with her because either Jane or Frankie instigated Maura to convince her that it'd be better that she wouldn't work this case.

She looked at the BRIC and stood

She looked to BRIC and got up without a word, her jaw set.

Maura looked after her daughter and closed her eyes briefly before following her.

Liz pushed the door to BRIC open and said with a sharp tone, "You seriously using Mom to stop me working these cases?"

Jane furrowed her brows, pursed her lips, and slowly turned to the detective. "What?"

The young woman crossed her arms and pressed her lips together, tacitly telling the former lieutenant that Jane had heard her very well.

Leslie looked at the three and cleared her throat, thrusting her thumb over her shoulder. "I ... uh ... I'm gonna get coffee."

Frankie looked at the redhead briefly and made her understand that it would be a very good idea.

He waited until Leslie had left and then looked at his niece. "Each of us knows who is behind the murders," he said bluntly, and Liz opened her mouth to say that it was reasonable to assume that either Cody or Winters were responsible for the murders, or in the worst case, both together.

His words sank in and she pulled her chin in. "What?"

Jane looked briefly at her brother and then turned back to her daughter. "It is no accident that the women were killed in a similar way as you were left behind to die. These women represent you."

Liz blinked first at Jane and then at Frankie. "That's why I have to work with these murders."

"That's why I can't allow that to happen," replied Frankie, gritting his teeth. "Every criminal defense lawyer will claim that you are not objective because you have a story similar to that of the victims. That every piece of evidence you touched and every testimony you have taken are compromised."

Liz looked long at him and narrowed her eyes. "I don't quite understand. I can't be objective because like the four women I'm a hooker?"

"Stop being silly," growled Jane warningly. "You know exactly what Frankie's saying. That you can't be objective because you share a similar story with them because they tried to kill you in a similar way."

"With the difference that I stand here and can still talk to you," the detective replied emphatically. "These women can no longer speak for themselves, Ma, that became my job after seeing them

Bleed out slowly. Yes, we have the slit wrists in common, that's exactly what drives me to catch the son of a bitch who's responsible for this. And if it's Winters or Cody, that's a bonus. "

"Has it occurred to you that these murders could only be a tactic to draw you out," Maura asked suddenly and raised her eyebrows when three pairs of eyes looked at her. "To make you vulnerable."

"To make me -" Liz growled low and closed her eyes briefly, taking a deep breath. "The only thing this crap makes me is angry."

"And anger makes you become inattentive," replied Jane, frowning deeply. "Believe me, I know what I'm talking about."

The young woman glared at her and opened her mouth to ask how Jane would know what was happening to someone who was directly affected, but decided against it before a word could leave her mouth.

Frankie sighed loudly while he shoved his hands into his pockets. "Let's make a compromise. You will continue to lead the investigation for now, but you'll drop it as soon as it turns out that Martens or Winters committed the murders."

Jane looked at her wife and slowly nodded when Maura raised her eyebrows in agreement. "I like the idea."

Liz gritted her teeth several times while looking at the members of her family and also nodded without breathing. "Okay."

"Okay," Frankie repeated, looking at the three women. "Then let's get back to work before more bodies come up."

Maura looked at the three cops and licked her lips. "I'll go to forensics and see if I can help Rose in any way."

Frankie eyed the two brunettes. "You think you can work together without strangling each other?"

"I got it," replied the former lieutenant and winked at him, Liz growled and followed her mother flabbergasted.

Frankie opened his mouth and let his shoulders drop when Maura began to chuckle.

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Jane handed Maura a beer and sat on the couch next to her wife. It was one of the rare evenings when they shared the same drink. "Do you seriously believe that Liz will drop the case if it turns out that Winters or Martens killed the women?"

Maura wiggled her eyebrows and licked her lips thoughtfully. "Is this a trick question?"

Jane smiled a little and rubbed her right eye. She knew that her daughter wouldn't give up just because Frankie had suggested a lackadaisical compromise.

She also knew that Liz would only stop if he rigorously told her to stay out of the investigation and that this would only result in her continuing to investigate on her own.

"Liz is your daughter," said Maura suddenly, taking a sip.

Jane frowned and blinked in surprise. "I'm aware of that."

"You should also be aware that if Frankie pulls her from the investigation it won't work, it would only make the situation worse."

The Italian took a deep breath and looked long at her wife. „What you wanna say is no matter how you look at it, it won't end well?"

The former ME pressed her lips together and raised her shoulders. "I can understand that Liz takes these murders very personally and won't stop until she has caught the culprit and put them behind bars."

Jane exhaled loudly and slowly and gritted her teeth briefly. "That's what worries me. You don't think four women happened to die in the same way Keira's father had planned for Liz, do you? As you said, they're trying to draw our daughter out."

Maura also sighed and shook her head. The thought that these murders had been more of a trap to get Liz out of cover had already occurred to her when she found out about the first victim and the way the woman died.

She also knew that it was not uncommon for someone to try to fake suicide, but in these four cases, the perpetrator hadn't tried so hard. Rather, it was an allusion to Liz's past and that it was far from over. "You know what I think of coincidences."

Jane looked long at her and grinned broadly. "I rubbed off on you."

Maura opened her mouth, paused, and decided to take another sip instead of responding.

"Admit it," Jane demanded in a playful tone and quirked an eyebrow with a smile.

"I won't admit anything at all," replied the blonde, getting up from the couch.

Jane followed her wife with her eyes and turned her head when she went into the kitchen. "It's nothing bad, Maura. Something like that happens over the years if you have just one partner. You do rub off on each other."

Maura leaned her hips against the kitchen island and frowned deeply. "Is that your subtle way of telling me that you would like to have other partners?"

Jane frowned, opened her mouth, and lowered her eyebrows when she realized that she'd put herself in an extremely delicate position with one single, thoughtless statement. "Of course not." She said in a high-pitched voice and groaned when her wife looked at her skeptically, getting up from the couch. She went to Maura and stood close in front of her. "No matter what I say right now, I'll get the shit end of the stick, won't I?"

Grinning, Maura shrugged while she looked into her wife's eyes.

She knew that she didn't have to worry about whether Jane would cheat on her or not.

The former lieutenant had had more than one opportunity to go home with another woman and yet Jane had only eyes for her or had come home late at night when she was out with friends. She never had a reason to doubt that.

Jane held Maura's gaze and frowned. "How can I prove that you are the only one for me?"

"I'm sure you'll think of something."

The taller woman inhaled loudly and pulled Maura against her body. "Oh, I'm sure of that too."

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Liz entered her house, panting and sweating with Puck, and instantly activated the alarm system.

Adam was sitting on the couch, watching TV, and turned his head to his wife. "Did the run help?"

Liz unbuckled the dog leash around her hips and raised her eyebrows. "Puck kept me warm."

He looked at the Belgian Shepherd who was greedy for his water bowl. "Or did you keep the poor guy warm?"

"It was based on mutuality."

"You know that Puck is no longer the youngest puppy?"

She looked at him incredulously when she opened the fridge and took out a water bottle. "You wanna drive at something?"

"I would never," Adam said, turning off the television and getting up from the couch. "So, did the run help now?"

Liz took a sip from the bottle and frowned while she was looking around. "A little."

Adam nodded slowly and scratched his forehead. "I'm glad that at least you didn't run alone."

Liz looked at the dog, which was now scratching its hind paw extensively behind its ear. "I'm not quite sure if Puck reaches his target."

The dog pricked up its ears and tilted his head questioningly.

"Well, then let's get a dog that's more a guard dog," Adam suggested almost apathetically.

The Belgian Shepherd immediately caught up with Liz and sat by her side.

The brunette ruffled his head and looked at her husband seriously. "Before that happens, I'll trade you in."

"Wow," he laughed, raising his eyebrows. Of course, he hadn't meant his previous statement that way. For him, Puck was also a member of the family. At first, he wasn't too excited when Liz showed up at home with the three-month-old puppy because he knew from friends of the dog squad that Belgian Shepherds needed a very special way of training, even had to go to dog school for months so that they didn't mess up. but when he saw Liz's look that day when she brought Puck home, he knew the two had a very special connection. A connection against which even he had little chance. Zane and Puck had the same connection after Liz left.

For him, the dog was both a faithful companion and a painful memory.

"I won't miss that little bastard either," he sighed, swallowing hard.

Puck licked his snout loudly and tripped.

Liz grinned broadly and went to her husband. "Zane already told me a long that Puck slept in bed with you when I wasn't here."

"That little traitor," her husband grumbled and winced when she slapped his arm. "Do not touch me!"

Liz froze and looked at him in surprise. "Excuse me?"

"Do not touch me, you're all sweaty," Adam whimpered, shivering. Then he straightened up again and said in a normal voice, "Our son would say that right now."

She lowered her eyebrows and scoffed, "Somehow I'm starting to feel like I have three children."

He grinned broadly and grabbed a beer from the fridge. "I would have run with you, but -" He trailed when she quirked an eyebrow. "You think I can't keep up with you anymore, don't you?"

Liz raised her shoulders and made an amused face. "It's okay, after all, you're an old man. I mean, you're almost fifty."

"You are unbelievable," Adam laughed and took a big swig.

Liz raised her bottle and grinned broadly. "Thank you."

He grinned broadly and shook his head. He had actually expected his wife to be in a really bad mood after Frankie more or less put her on a short leash. However, he also knew that it wouldn't stop her if Frankie decided to pull her off the case, which worried him even more, but he didn't want to think about right now or bring that topic up.

Liz took another sip of water and looked at him questioningly. "Zane is in bed already?"

Adam nodded slowly with a frown. "Yep, and Keira is staying with Emily tonight."

Liz nodded again before placing the bottle on the kitchen island. "I'm gonna take a shower."

He was about to make his way back to the couch and sipped his beer. "Okay." He froze when he recognized her telling tone and glanced at her with wide eyes.

He almost tripped over the armchair when he tried to follow his wife and Puck made a sound in between a bark and a whine.

Liz suppressed a hearty laugh while she climbed the stairs up.